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Made a simple enriched Italian bread that is very versatile. My mom made this a lot growing up. One of my favorites for sure. This loaf was about 1000 grams. Hydration was around 73%, enriched with 5% olive oil, 3% sugar, and 2.6% salt and about 1% IDY. 

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This was a fun outcome. I tried out my new petite Fat Daddy loaf pans and they do fit into my roasting pan side by side,  thanks to the vertical sides and small rolled rims. The loaves merged together where the pans touched.

I preheated the roasting pan sitting on top of a pizza stone in the oven. Final shaped panned proof was only 15 minutes. I loaded them into the roasting pan, sprayed then with water,  and put the lid on.

This is the best oven spring I've gotten. The flour was 100% freshly milled spelt. No sifting.

I'll upload a crumb shot once I cut one open.

For today's bake, I decided to take a page from Benito's book and make a whole wheat sourdough with 2% vital wheat gluten and a bran scald. I used freshly milled hard red wheat and sifted it with a 50 mesh sieve.

Scald:

• 141g bran (13.8%)
• 282g boiling water (27.6%)

Main dough

• 828g sifted flour (81.1%)
• 19g vital wheat gluten (1.9%)
• 20g salt (2.0%)
• 50g stiff starter (3.3% prefermented flour)
• 508g water (49.7%)

12 hours after making the scald, I mixed the main dough. I let the main dough rest for 30 minutes, then mixed in the scald. 30 minutes later, I added 50g more water. I performed 3 sets of stretch and folds, then let it bulk ferment over night.

I happened to wake up at 1:45am and decided to check on the dough. In my delirium, I mixed up my starting and target volumes on my Cambro container, and didn't realize it until after I preshaped, shaped, and went back to bed. So I got up and put both loaves back into the bulk container.

I'm the morning, when it had actually doubled, I redivided, preshaped, shaped, and stuck the loaves in the fridge to proof. During the mixing and stretches, the dough felt very sticky, but by the time I shaped it, it felt somewhat stiff, like it still could've used at least 5% higher hydration.

After 8 hours in the fridge, I baked one of the loaves in a dutch oven, and I'll leave the other one in the fridge until we finish this first one. Overall, I'm very pleased with the shape of this loaf, although the volume seems small. I'm going to try to give the other loaf some time at room temperature to see if that helps with volume before I bake it.

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J

This was a nice flavorful bread made with fresh milled Durum, Rye and Rouge de Bordeaux whole wheat. I used some baked potatoes that were mashed up but still chunky so you end up with a rustic bread with pieces of potato throughout. 

The buttermilk was originally going to be used in my English Muffins but I forgot so I pivoted and used it in this bake instead. It adds a little extra tang to the final bread.

The crumb on this one was tighter than I wanted mainly because I should let the final proof go a little longer, plus with such a high percentage of whole grains I should have upped the hydration a bit more as well which would have helped. Either way, it still ended up a tasty loaf.

I milled the whole grains in my MockMill200, sifted with a #30 sieve, re-milled and then sifted with a #40. I save the bran to add to my levains which I find give them a nice boost.

Some everything bagel mix was added as a topping for some extra crunch and flavor.

Formula

Levain Directions 

Mix all the levain ingredients together for about 1 minute and cover with plastic wrap.

Let it sit at room temperature for around 6-7 hours or until the starter has almost doubled. I used my proofer set at 76 degrees so it took around 5 hours for me. Either use in the main dough immediately or refrigerate for up to 1 day before using.

 Main Dough Procedure

Note: I use an Ankarsrum Mixer so my order of mixing is slightly different than if using a Kitchenaid or other mixer. Add all your liquid to your mixing bowl except 50-80 grams. Add the levain in pieces and mix for a few seconds to break it up. Next, add all your flour to the bowl and mix on low for a minute until it forms a shaggy mass. Cover the mixing bowl and let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour.   Next add the salt, potatoes and remaining water as needed and mix on medium low (about speed 3) for 18 minutes.  If you are using a more traditional mixer you would only mix around 7-10 minutes.

Remove the dough from your bowl and place it in a lightly oiled bowl or work surface and do several stretch and folds.  Let it rest covered for 10-15 minutes and then do another stretch and fold.  Let it rest another 10-15 minutes and do one additional stretch and fold.  After a total of 1.5 hours place your covered bowl in the refrigerator and let it rest for 12 to 24 hours. I use my proofer set at 79-80 degrees. If you are leaving it at room temperature 72 degrees I would let it sit out for 2 -2.5 hours before refrigerating. Depending on how developed the dough is after the initial mix you may not need to do as many S&F’s.

When you are ready to bake remove the bowl from the refrigerator and let it set out at room temperature still covered for 1.5 to 2 hours or if using a proofer set at 80 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove the dough and shape as desired and cover with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap Sprayed with cooking spray and let rise at room temperature for 1 1/2 – 2 hours.  (I use my proofer set at 80 F and it takes about 1 hour to 1.5 hours but I should have let it go further on this bake). You will need to judge for yourself if you have a nice fermented dough before baking in the oven. I also added the topping mix directly to the bottom of my bannetons and rolled the dough side to side to make sure I had good coverage. You can also spray a a tea towel and then sprinkle the topping on the towel and roll the dough onto the towel.

Around 45 minutes before ready to bake, pre-heat your oven to 540 degrees F. and prepare it for steam.  I have a heavy-duty baking pan on the bottom rack of my oven with 1 baking stone on above the pan and one on the top shelf.  I pour 1 cup of boiling water in the pan right after I place the dough in the oven.

After 1 minute lower the temperature to 455 degrees.  Bake for around 35 minutes or until the breads are nice and brown and have an internal temperature around 200-210 F. 

Take the bread(s) out of the oven when done and let them cool on a bakers rack for as long as you can resist. 

Another birthday get together this evening means another cake needing to be baked.  I had just enough cream cheese left over from the ginger breads so I decided to bake a popular southern US cake.  The Hummingbird cake has quite a few variations, but generally they all have bananas, pineapples and warm spices along with cream cheese icing as this one has.  Generally I don’t love a ton of icing on cakes, so I then to avoid layer cakes.  This one just has the drizzle icing on top.  Mine was a bit too thick so didn’t drip down the sides without some coaxing.  

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This recipe is from Southern Living.  The only change I made to the recipe was to change the Bundt pan from a 14 cup to my 12 cup.  The recipe amounts didn’t need to change, the recipe easily fit my pan.

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 45 mins

Yield:

10 to 12 serves

Ingredients

Cake Batter

• 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1 ¾ cups mashed ripe bananas (about 4 large)
• 1 (8-oz. 227 g) can crushed pineapple (do not drain)
• ¾ cup canola oil (I used avocado oil)
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze

• 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cubed and softened
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Directions

1. Prepare Cake Batter: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. 
   
2. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 4 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Sprinkle 1 cup toasted pecans into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan. Spoon batter over pecans. 
   
3. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours). 
   
4. Prepare Glaze: Process cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp. milk in a food processor until well blended. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, processing until smooth. Immediately pour glaze over cooled cake, and sprinkle with remaining ½ cup toasted pecans.

https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/hummingbird-bundt-cake-recipe

I am nearing the end of a batch of homemade red miso I harvested last May 2023.  Fortunately I have a full batch that has been fermenting for just over a year now so I decided to celebrate that with another bread using miso.  There rolls are delicious, soft, fluffy and super buttery, maybe not for those on a diet unless you do as I do and share most of the rolls with others.  The dough is a my standard formula that I use for sweet rolls with 15% whole wheat (or other whole grain) that is also the flour used for the tangzhong.  The tangzhong as you know helps slow the bread’s staling and also ensures that this bread is soft and tender yet shreddable. The tangzhong also allows you to increase the hydration of your dough but allows the dough to handle like a lower hydration dough.

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Miso Garlic Butter Filling for 9x9” pan

Butter very soft 141 g

Miso (red) 20 g

Dash of pepper and paprika to taste

4 garlic cloves minced

2 scallions minced

½ tsp garlic powder (optional to taste)

Minced chives and parsley (optional to taste)

Black sesame seeds (optional to taste) can be sprinkled on after the filling is spread onto the dough

Egg wash - 1 egg 1 tbsp milk pinch of salt

Instructions

Levain

Mix the levain ingredients in a jar or pyrex container with space for at least 300% growth. 

Press down with your knuckles or silicone spatula to create a uniform surface and to push out air.

At a temperature of 76ºF, it typically takes up to 10-12 hours for this sweet stiff levain to be at peak.  For my starter I typically see 3-3.5 times increase in size at peak.  The levain will smell sweet with only a mild tang.

Tangzhong 

In a sauce pan set on medium heat, stir the milk and flour until blended. Then cook for several minutes until well thickened, stirring regularly with a spoon or heat-resistant spatula. Let cool in the pan or, for faster results, in a new bowl.  Theoretically it should reach 65ºC (149ºF) but I don’t find I need to measure the temperature as the tangzhong gelatinizes at this temperature.  You can prepare this the night before and refrigerate it, ensure that it is covered to prevent it from drying out.

If you plan on using a stand mixer to mix this dough, set up a Bain Marie and use your stand mixer’s bowl to prepare the tangzhong.

Dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk (consider holding back 10 g of milk and adding later if this is the first time you’re making this), egg, tangzhong, salt, sugar and levain.  Mix and then break up the levain into many smaller pieces.  Next add the flours.  I like to use my spatula to mix until there aren’t many dry areas.  Allow the flour to hydrate (fermentolyse) for 20-30 minutes.  Mix on low speed and then medium speed until moderate gluten development this may take 5-10 mins.  You may want to scrape the sides of the bowl during the first 5 minutes of mixing.  Next add room temperature butter one pat at a time.  The dough may come apart, be patient, continue to mix until it comes together before adding in more butter.  Once all the butter has been added and incorporated increase the speed gradually to medium. Mix at medium speed until the gluten is well developed, approximately 10 mins.  You will want to check gluten development by windowpane during this time and stop mixing when you get a good windowpane.  You should be able to pull a good windowpane, not quite as good as a white flour because the bran will interrupt the windowpane somewhat.  Next add the zest of two oranges, that way they do not interfere with the gluten development. Mix until they are well incorporated in the dough.

On the counter, shape the dough into a tight ball, cover in the bowl and ferment for 2-4 hours at 82ºF.  There will be some rise visible at this stage.

Optional cold retard overnight or just 1.5 hours to chill the dough for easier shaping.

Prepare your pan by greasing it or line with parchment paper.  

This dough is very soft. Act quickly to roll, spread the filling, and cut before the dough warms and softens further. If it begins to soften, place it in the fridge to firm.

Remove your bulk fermentation container from the fridge, lightly flour your work surface in a large rectangle shape, and the top of the dough in the bowl. Then, gently scrape out the dough to the center of your floured rectangle. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour, and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a 15″ x 15″ square or larger rectangle.

Spread miso garlic butter filling onto the dough.   Sprinkle green onions and black sesame seeds if using.

Starting at one of the long sides of the rectangle in front of you, begin rolling up the dough as you move across. Be sure to tightly roll the dough by gently tugging on the dough as you roll.

Once finished rolling up the dough, divide it into nine 1 1/2″ pieces using a sharp knife or dental floss which is my preference. Transfer the pieces to the prepared baking pan and cover with a large, reusable bag, place in a warm spot.  I use my proofing box set to 82°F.  Final proof may take 3-6 hours, be patient and wait until the dough passes the finger poke test.  Using my aliquot jar the dough should reach a total rise of 120-140%.

Be sure to start preheating your oven about 30 minutes before you feel the rolls will be fully proofed. For me, the final warm proof time was about 3 hours at 77°F (25°C).

Bake

Preheat your oven, with a rack in the middle, to 400°F (200°C). After the warm proof, uncover your dough and gently press the tops of a few rolls.  The fully proofed rolls will look very soft. The texture of the dough will be almost like a whipped mousse. Be sure to give them extra time in warm proof if necessary. If the dough needs more time to proof, cover the pan and give the dough another 15 to 30 minutes at a warm temperature and check again.

Once your oven is preheated, remove your pan from its bag, brush the rolls with the egg wash, then slide it into the oven, and bake for 30 to 35 minutes rotating partway through.

The rolls are finished baking when the tops are well-colored and the internal temperature is around 195°F (90°C). Remove the rolls from the oven and let the rolls cool for 5 to 10 minutes in the pan.  Brush with some butter while still warm.  Sprinkle some dried parsley after brushing with butter (optional).  Then remove from pan and transfer to rack to cool.

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My index of bakes.

A year or so ago, Troy (aka HeiHei29er) posted a recipe for a Lithuanian bread.  At the time I baked it a few times, but it had been awhile, and I felt that a revisit was needed.  Besides, we have some neighbors down the street from Lithuania, and I wanted to bake them a loaf (but after baking one for my wife and me to reacquaint myself with the recipe).

A simple preferment (starter, rye flour, and water) sits overnight, and a scald the next morning combines several of the ingredients (red rye malt, rye flour, caraway seed, ground coriander, blackstrap molasses, and water) that give the bread its distinctive flavor.  The final dough contains the preferment and scald along with more rye flour, some whole wheat flour, a little salt, some honey, and water.

After mixing, a bulk fermentation, and a final proofing in a loaf pan, the bread baked for 45 minutes at 465F.  Here is a top view of the loaf.

The crumb is somewhat dense, but very soft and easily chewable.  The flavor is impeccable.

If anyone wants the full recipe, please simply ask.  I found a Brod & Taylor proofing box helpful for maintaining a constant temperature during the stages. and I lined the loaf pan with parchment paper after learning the hard way that this dough wants to stick to the sides.

Happy baking.

Ted

I wanted to do a slightly different sourdough focaccia using my homemade red miso.  This bread has both miso and toasted sesame seed oil in it.  I also used 10% whole kamut along with bread flour just for a bit more complexity.  The toppings I kept pretty simple a drizzle of red miso with olive oil, rings of red peppers, yellow cherry tomatoes, onions and black sesame seeds. 

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Levain build overnight

Mix starter, water and then flour and ferment at warm room temperature 74-76°F the night before.

Method

Mix

To the bowl of your stand mixer add water, miso and honey, mix to combine and dissolve the miso.

Add the levain and break into small pieces.  Add the flours and mix until the gluten is well developed. (hold back the sesame oil until later in mixing). 

Next, turn the mixer on to a low speed and slowly drizzle the toasted sesame oil into the bowl while mixing. Once all of the olive oil is absorbed, turn the mixer up to speed 2 for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough comes back together.

Transfer your dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.

This highly hydrated and enriched dough is  wet and loose, it won’t strengthen to the same degree as a typical bread dough.

Immediately after mixing the dough is still very wet and chunky. However, it’s not falling apart or soupy. Resist the temptation to add more flour at this point.

Transfer the dough to a covered container for bulk fermentation.

Bulk Fermentation – 2 - 3 hours

Give the dough 3 sets of stretch and folds, starting 30 minutes after mixing, and a set every 30 minutes thereafter.

Every 30 minutes for the remaining 2 hours of bulk fermentation gently stretch the dough, with wet hands, toward the corners of the rectangular container. The dough will resist stretching and spring back (especially with the oil underneath), but don’t force it—each time you stretch it’ll relax a bit more and eventually fill the container.

OVERNIGHT OPTION: After two hours in proof, cover the rectangular pan with an airtight cover and transfer to the fridge. The next day, take out the dough and let it come to room temperature, and continue with the Top & Bake step below.

Proof – 4-6 hours

Transfer the dough to a deep rectangular pan or two 9” rounds that have been greased with olive oil. If you don’t have a pan with a silicone liner, make sure to heavily oil the pan’s interior so the focaccia doesn’t stick during baking.  Do not go too heavy with the olive oil otherwise you may end up shallow frying the dough.

At 76-78°F (24-25°C), the dough will proof for 4-6 hours. This time period is flexible and dependent on the temperature: if it’s cooler, let it proof longer, and conversely, if it’s warm, you might be able to bake sooner.

Every 30 minutes for the first hour, uncover the pan and gently stretch the dough with wet hands to the pan’s edges to encourage it to fill the pan. The dough will naturally spread out during this proofing period, so it’s unnecessary to spread the dough aggressively. Once the dough is mostly spread to the edges, cover the pan and proof for 4 hours.

About 30 minutes before you anticipate the sourdough focaccia dough being ready, preheat the oven to 450°F (232°C) with a rack placed in the bottom third (a baking stone is not necessary).  Aim to bake when the dough has reached 130-150% rise.

Top & Bake

Whisk 1-2 tbsp of olive oil with 1 tsp of miso and a pinch of pepper.  We will use this to drizzle onto the dough after docking with our wet fingers.

First, dimple the unadorned dough with wet fingers. Make sure the dimples are evenly spaced and go all the way down to the bottom of the pan. Then, drizzle on 1-2 tablespoons of miso olive oil. If using other toppings, add them now and press them gently into the dough.

Bake the focaccia in the oven at 450°F (232°C) until deeply colored on top, about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan front-to-back halfway through this time. Keep an eye on it during the last 5 minutes and pull it out if it’s coloring too quickly, or leave it in longer if you’d like it a little darker.

Let the focaccia cool a few minutes in the pan, then transfer to a cooling rack. It’s fantastic warm from the oven, and best on the day of baking, but it’ll keep well for a couple days loosely wrapped in foil (reheat under the broiler before serving).

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My index of bakes.

A friend of mine has made these for us many years ago and I remember them fondly.  His homemade versions were far better than any of the store bought ones I’ve ever had.  I finally got around to trying to make these myself.  Although they’re called cakes, they are really pastries with a pineapple jam encased in a short crust wrapping.  I purchased a mooncake press/mold to shape these. I can do a better job with shaping these before pressing them as several of them had cracks after baking.  As typical of Asian desserts, these are not too sweet but tasty.

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Makes 18 50 g cakes or 12 75 g cakes

The recipe is from the book Mooncakes and Milkbread.

Equipment

• Pineapple cake molds (I have also had success using mooncake and other plunger-style molds)

Ingredients

Pineapple Filling

• 1 can (14oz or 414 mL) crushed pineapple (strained)
• 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Pastry

• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
• 20 g (2 tbsp) confectioner's sugar
• 20 g (2 tbsp) tapioca starch
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 113 g (1/2 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 1 large egg

Instructions

Pineapple Filling

• In a medium saucepan, combine the pineapple, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until thick and caramelized. This will take some time since next time I won’t drain the crushed pineapple to try to get more flavour out of it.  Transfer the filling to a heat-proof container and allow to cool completely at room temperature (or refrigerate until ready to form the cakes).
  

Pastry

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse to combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, tapioca starch, salt, butter.  Pulse until sand like then add egg pulsing again until a cohesive dough forms.
  
• Transfer the dough to a sheet of plastic wrap, pat into a 1-inch-thick disc, and tightly wrap. Refrigerate the dough until firm but still somewhat pliable, 30 to 45 minutes.
  
• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
  
• Use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 18 equal-size pieces (use a digital scale if you have one). Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough into a smooth ball. Place the dough ball on a lightly floured work surface, gently flatten with the palm of your hand, and roll out to a 3-inch round with a dowel rolling pin.
  
• Place a teaspoon filling in the center of the dough, pull up the edges, and pinch together to seal. Place the filled cake inside the pineapple cake mold, seam side down, and gently press down with the plunger until it evenly fills the mold. Remove the plunger and transfer the pineapple cake, still in the mold, onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pastry and pineapple filling. If you have a limited number of molds, keep the dough and filling in the refrigerator until ready to form the next batch.
  
• Bake in the molds until the cakes are golden brown, 25 to 27 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a wire rack and allow the cakes to cool on the sheet for 5 minutes. Remove the molds and allow the cakes to cool completely on the rack. Enjoy the cakes fresh or store in an airtight container for 24 hours to allow the shortbread to soften.

Notes

Pineapple cakes can be stored in an airtight container (a resealable bag works great) at room temperature for up to 5 days.

My index of bakes

I first saw an article about Khachapuri, the cheesy flatbread from Georgia, in a Sunday Parade newspaper insert.

https://eweck1.wordpress.com/2021/03/04/khachapuri-georgian-cheesebread/